June 4, 2020 @MyKitchenTable: Thursday, June 4, 2020 Dear Friend: Our inspiration for the day is from Karen Hering... “Justice is acts of listening, condolence, and conversation.” That is where our nation needs to be today, and every day. We are all reminded to do what we can. As Nelson Mandela said, “Vision without action is just a dream, action without vision just passes the time, and vision WITH action can change the world." Last night, the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus (PSC) held a leng... Read more

U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today announced the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau will be awarding a $351,175 grant to Lakeland Regional Health system to support telehealth services, including telemedicine carts, tablets, telehealth and remote monitoring equipment, and telehealth software licenses, and to expand telehealth infrastructure to allow all 350 health care providers to see patients virtually. The funding was made available through the CARES Act, which Upton voted for and the U.... Read more

@MyKitchenTable: Wednesday, June 3, 2020 Dear Friend: After all the very serious news the last ten days, I thought this Knute Rockne’s quote might provide a little levity..."I won’t know why we lost the game until my barber tells me on Monday." Listening to Michael Patrick Shiels this morning on WSJM, it was noted that Michigan is the only state that has not either opened up its barber shops/salons or set a date for them to open. GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy asked me on our conference call today if... Read more

KALAMAZOO, Mich. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, issued the following statement: “We know that Kalamazoo and the people of this extraordinary community have a proud, wonderful history of diversity in every respect, which I’ve always viewed as a strength. We should heed the advice of George Floyd’s brother to end the chaos and to respond to this latest case of police brutality in a constructive way. Accountability is the key ingredient for us all to be judged on our actions. We must respect... Read more

May 29, 2020 @MyKitchenTable: Friday, May 29, 2020 Dear Friend: We’ve had some pretty tough news the last week or so. The 100,000 U.S. death threshold was crossed this week; dams burst and evacuated some 10,000 Michiganders from their homes; Minneapolis; and - on the personal side - my congressional staff had our second immediate family member die from COVID-19. Add the chaos of lost economic opportunity to such real hardships for so many innocent victims as we miss the companionship and love o... Read more

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Fred Upton (R-MI) and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), along with leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, asked questions about safety concerns and non-compliance of the Edenville Dam before it breached and caused catastrophic damage throughout downstream communities. Dingell and Upton wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), which revoked Boyce Hydro Power’s license in September 2018. The lawmakers also wrote to the Michigan Dep... Read more

June 1, 2020 @MyKitchenTable: Monday, June 1, 2020 Dear Friend: As the events from Minneapolis have consumed much of our nation’s thoughts and energies, it is this quote from Mahatma Gandhi that truly underscores today’s charge: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong." I participated in the peaceful protest Sunday afternoon in Benton Harbor with Mayor Marcus Muhammad and a number of Benton Harbor elected officials. Accountability is the key ingredient for us all... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI) and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-SC) today announced the introduction of the “Rural Broadband Acceleration Act,” bipartisan legislation that directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fund shovel-ready, high-speed internet projects immediately, so consumers can access broadband within a year. Roughly one in four rural households cannot connect to the internet, and it is often too slow and too expensive for the households who d... Read more

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph, today voted for and the U.S. House passed the bipartisan Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act, of which Upton was an original co-sponsor. The bill passed 417-1. This bipartisan legislation extends loan forgiveness beyond the original 8-week timeline, eliminate restrictions limiting non-payroll expenses to 25% of loan proceeds, extends the 2-year limit on loan repayment, ensure full access to payroll tax deferment, and expand the rehir... Read more

@MyKitchenTable: Thursday, May 28, 2020 Dear Friend: The day never quit. I was very glad for the “mute” button because I was on multiple conference calls at the same time! Today’s KT report coming to you from D.C., where we just passed our bipartisan bill to improve the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Remember this program provided a real lifeline to our small businesses, without a doubt. If you’re a small business and you allocated 75% of the loan money that you received for employees’ salar... Read more